Back in September, Apple had become the first name in tech to introduce the Bitcoin symbol for their OS. The Bitcoin symbol was a glyph introduced in the iOS 12 update in 2018. However, it was a Glyph and not an official character. Google has now taken one major step forward in this direction and has introduced the Bitcoin Symbol (B with two vertical lines going through it) on the Google Keyboard for iOS users.
Back when Apple had introduced the Bitcoin Glyphs, they were a part of the Shortcuts application. However, they weren’t of much use beyond that. With this new update for the GBoard, Google has now brought the Bitcoin symbol mainstream. For years, there has been an active demand in the crypto-community regarding a Bitcoin emoji or a Bitcoin symbol. While Apple’s Glyph was the closest we had to getting that - Google has finally come to the rescue!
A Unicode character had been assigned to the Bitcoin symbol in 2017. Pressing alt+20BF shows the Bitcoin symbol on Microsoft devices. Microsoft, on an interesting note, also supports Bitcoin payments on its Microsoft Store.
However, while Unicode support has been there for some time - getting Google’s backing is a big deal for Bitcoin enthusiasts (as well as the crypto ecosystem at large). This is because this brings cryptocurrencies to the mainstream. At a time when people continue to speculate over the legitimacy and use case of cryptocurrencies, names such as Apple and Google backing Bitcoin in a subtle way is indeed going to have some impact.
How to Get the Bitcoin Symbol?
The Bitcoin Symbol is now the part of the GBoard Keyboard - and can be accessed only when users have selected that keyboard (and not the default Apple keyboard). Here’s how to access this symbol:
-
Open your GBoard Keyboard
-
Press the 123 key on the bottom left
-
On the second row, there’d be a button with your local currency on it.
-
Tap and hold that button
-
The first currency that appears on the bar that pops up is going to be that of Bitcoin.
In order to get the Bitcoin symbol on your Google keyboard for iOS, make sure that you have updated the GBoard application to its latest version.
Wow I just noticed that the ₿ symbol is now the first currency when u long press $ on Google keyboard...
— JP [ ₿⚡️] (@jpthor__) February 18, 2019
Does everyone know this? Bitcoin is becoming pervasive everywhere @APompliano pic.twitter.com/2hWDuBit3X
While we do not expect that these small changes to the keyboard are going to cause massive changes that drive the BTC price forward, we do expect the overall credibility and confidence around cryptocurrencies to grow - also exposing more users to the world of cryptocurrencies. Stay tuned with us at Cryptoground for more updates and news stories from the world of cryptocurrencies and the blockchain technology.